Jar sealer



D .11,1935.* J. B. BENTLEY ETAL 2,024,756

JAR SEALER Filed Jan. 15, 1934 \nvevfl'ows JAMES B. BENTLEY 1E bMARIE A. BENTLEY Patented Dec. 17, 1935 PATENT OFFICE JAR SEALER James B. Bentley and Marie A. Bentley, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Application January 15, 1934, Serial No. 706,718

5 Claims. (01. Sl -15.1)

Our invention relates generally to a tool and more particularly to means for pressing the flange on a fruit jar cover or the like against the rubber gasket so as to make a tight joint. Also, the de- 5 vice can be used in carrying the jar as desired.

As shown in the patent to Rosenberg, No. 724,399, March 31, 1903, and also the patent to Evans, No. 1,663,123, March 20, 1928, it is desirable to press the flange of the cover downwardly 10 and thus iron out any kinks or the like therein,

and our invention pertains to a device or appliance which will admirably serve this purpose and accomplish much better results in less time than hitherto attained. Furthermore, the tool itself is 15 easily and economically constructed.

As will be understood from the following description, our tool is bent from a single piece of resilient wire and is so shaped that the pressure exerted upon the handle members not only closes the tool against the flange of the cover, that is, above the bead of the jar, but also slightly closes the body portion of the tool below the bead and thereby absolutely prevents separation of the tool and the jar.

25 The manner of contact between the tool and the flange is along a tangential line, approximately, and by reciprocatory or turning movement of the tool the lines of contact are alternately varied so that the kinks or raised portions 30 are smoothed out. Pressure of the desired degree can be exerted downwardly upon the camming portion of the tool by corresponding pressure upon the handle. Inward pressure of the handles towards one another causes contact at the junc- 35 ture of the vertical portion of the cap and the flange and this aids in the smoothing operation. That is these contacts limit the inward movement of those portions of the tool which contact the flange and assures their proper positioning 40 relative thereto regardless of the usual variation in the size of the jar or cap.

There are several other advantages which are obtained by the use of our tool but it is unnecessary to point these out. Suffice it to say that the 4.5 device is of spring wire whereby it adapts itself to jars of varied sizes and that the contacts between the tool and the several points on the cap are such that both the edge and the flange proper will be smoothed out and furthermore the junc- 50 ture at the inner portion of the flange will also be forced to its properly curved configuration.

In the drawing:-- Fig. 1 is a plan view of our tool in operative position upon a cap. 55 Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Numeral ll] indicates the jar proper, having a bead II, and threaded as indicated at l2. See Fig. 3. The threads I2 receive the vertical por 5 tion of the cap or cover I3, this cap having a flange M which has a curved juncture IS with the vertical portion of the cap. See particularly Fig. 2. A rubber gasket I6 is inserted between the bead ll of the jar and the lower side of the 10 flange l4. s

The tool consists of a curved body portion 20, this normally springing outwardly as indicated in the dotted lines at the upper portion of Fig. 1, intermediate portions and spaced handles 2|.

The intermediate portions are of similar construction and therefore only one will be described. The body portion, curved toapproximately semicircular shape as shown, is continued in an outwardly and slightly upwardly extending arm 22 go and a second arm 23 extends inwardly and upwardly to join onto the handle member 2|.

The inclination of the arms 22 and 23, and also their length, is predetermined whereby the arm 23 makes line contact with the top surface of 25 the flange M. This line contact, see Fig. 1, lies underneath and parallel to the arms 23 and thus tangentially with respect to the lid or cover I3.

The arms 23 make a curved connection with the handle members 2| as indicated at 24 and this portion of the wire bears against the curved junction I5 previously referred to.

The use an operation is apparent. The body portion 20 is placed below the bead II and the handles grasped and drawn together so that the lower and inner part of the arms 23 may be pushed downwardly against the upper surface of the flange l4. Thus the lower inner portions of these arms 23 smooth out any irregularities in the flange M as the tool is used. Simultaneously, 40 the curved inner portions of the arms 23, as indicated by the reference numeral 24, come against the curved juncture l5 and thus the inward movement of each arm is limited. This properly positions the arms relative to the flange I4. The juncture I5 is also smoothed during the turning movement of the tool. The arms 22 and 23 provide a loop which prevents any interference with the rubber gasket Hi. Pressure is exerted upon the handle members both towards one another and also in a vertical direction and the tool is rotated and oscillated as desired and thus the flange is smoothed and ironed out and a secure seal is obtained. The pressure of the arms 23 is particularly effective against the extreme u edge of the flange I 4, causing it to bend downwardly and bite into the rubber gasket l 6 to make a perfect seal.

Having thus revealed this invention, we claim as new and desire to secure the following combinations and elements by Letters Patent of the United States.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new is:

1. A jar sealer adapted to be used with a jar having a bead therearound and threads thereabove to receive a flanger cover, comprising, a flexible body of curved shape received around the jar underneath the said bead, the body then being continued in outwardly extending portions and then in inwardly extending portions and terminating in spaced handle members, said inwardly extending portions having line contact with the top side of the flange of the flanged cover for the purpose described.

2. A jar sealer as set forth in claim 1 but further characterized by the fact that the line contact is angularly located with respect to radii of the jar or jar cover for the purpose described.

3. A jar sealer as in claim 1 in which said inwardly extending portions also contact with the jar cover at its juncture between the flange and the vertical portion of the cover.

4. A tool comprising a curved body of flexible material located in a horizontal plane, intermediate portions joined onto the ends of the body and extending upwardly to a plane spaced from the first plane and spaced handles joined onto the intermediate portions, movement of the handles toward one another causing the intermediate portions to move toward one another.

5. A jar sealer adapted to be used with a jar having a bead therearound and threads thereabove to receive a flanged cover, comprising, a flexible body received around the jar underneath the said bead and engaging against the jar, the flexible body then being continued in outwardly extending portions and then in inwardly extending portions and terminating in spaced handle members whereby the inwardly extending pori tions may be pulled inwardly against the cover to automatically position the inwardly extending portions relatively to the flange of said cover.

JAMES B. BENTLEY. MARIE A. BENTLEY. 

